Fire In The Water Chapter Twenty-one

Ward

The ringing phone woke me from a deep sleep. After work, I’d gone home to nap before meeting Bella for dinner. Instead, I fumbled to grab the burner phone from my nightstand, my heart beating in my throat. 

“Bethy?” I croaked.

“What the fuck were you thinking‽” she shouted. “I’ve been worried to death over you!”

Those words were all it took for me to collapse back against the headboard, tears forming in my eyes. A world’s worth of weight lifted from my shoulders. “Same old Bethy.”

“Same old Tony,” she shot back. “Worried about everyone but yourself.”

With a deep breath, I said, “I go by Ward now.”

Beth was quiet for a few seconds. “That’ll take some getting used to, I suppose.”

“How are you? Don’t lie, either.”

“Other than missing my baby brother?” I could hear a smile in her voice. “I’m doing great. Although, I look like I swallowed a cantaloupe because I’m expecting your niece in about five months.”

Fuck me. I’d missed too much. “I want to see you, but I can’t risk it. The brothers—”

“Caius died like the dog he was, strung up by an inmate who’d had enough of being pushed around. Marcus is currently in the loony bin because he went apeshit when he learned of his brother’s death.”

My breath was the only motion in the room. Time stood still while my heart and lungs returned to normal function. I had to force out my words in a whisper. “You mean there’s nothing left to run from?”

“That’s what I’m saying, yeah. The rest of the Volturi men joined other gangs when the shit hit the fan.”

“I can come home?” But as I said it, the words felt wrong on my tongue. Maryland was no longer my home.

“You can, Ton—um, Ward. You can come back and live with Mike and me, and be here for the birth of this little one.”

I didn't think it would be so fucking painful to hear those words. After all, I’d waited months now for such an enormous reprieve. “I—I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t? Listen, there’s no one looking for you anymore. If it’s about living with us—”

“It’s not,” I interrupted quietly. “I thought I was running for my life, but instead, I found it here.”

After a few beats, she asked, “Where is here?”

“Port Townsend, Washington. It’s the most wonderful little community, and the people here care about me. I even have a girlfriend.”

“Wow, little bro committed to a woman? Color me impressed.”

Her tone didn't match her words. It was difficult to know I’d disappointed her, but I couldn't expect anything else. “Beth, I’m really sorry.”

“I don’t want you to be sorry for finding happiness. It’s not your fault you couldn't find it here.”

That was the thing, though. It was my fault; it was all my fault. “Beth.”

“All I’ve ever wanted was for you to find who you’re meant to be in this world.”

Her words reminded me of what Riley had said about raising Bella. “You’ve been more of a mom to me than our own mom.”

“I’m not old enough to be your mom. Don't make me travel across the country to kick your ass.”

I chuckled, feeling better. Lighter. “Please come. I need to see you for myself.”

There was rustling on the other end of the line, and then I heard the muted sound of her husband’s voice. “Mike says he can swing it at the end of the month. I can take a week off, I think.”

“God, Beth, I can picture you here. It’s such an amazing place, you’ll see.”

“Stay out of trouble, okay? I’ll call you again when I have more information about dates.”

“I love you so much, Beth.”

“I love you too, Ward.” Her voice was full of emotion. “You’re the best brother I’ve ever had, but I’ll wring your scrawny neck if you ever disappear on me again.”

Laughing, I said, “I won’t have any reason to now.”

As soon as I hung up, I pulled on fresh clothes and ran a comb through my hair. Heidi sensed my excitement, dancing around me and whacking her tail on the bathroom door. Quickly, I leashed her up and pocketed the phone and my keys before walking to Corner Café and Bakery.

They were busy when I stepped inside, but Alice smiled at me.

“Is it okay to come through here with Heidi?” I asked.

“Of course. Bella’s upstairs.”

With a small wave, I went down the hall to the back staircase and took the steps two at a time. Heidi’s tongue lolled outside her mouth, and I grinned at her expression. After a quick knock, I waited impatiently for Bella to open her door, almost getting ahead of myself and barging in.

She swung the door open, a bright expression on her face. Dropping the leash, I backed Bella into her apartment and slammed the door, shoving her against it as Heidi circled the rug in my periphery before settling down.

Without a word, I pressed my mouth to Bella’s, hearing her quick intake of breath before I stole it selfishly. Threading my hands through her hair, I tilted her head and went in deeper, swiping my tongue inside her mouth to enjoy the burst of cinnamon and toffee, whiskey flavors exploding throughout my senses.

Her fingers gripped my t-shirt, one leg coming up to grind our pelvises together. Whimpering, she dug her fingers into my flesh, and I silently begged her to go deeper, harder—to mark me forever as hers. If there was a way to take her inside me, I wanted to know it as intimately as I knew every inch of her skin.

“What . . .” Trailing off, Bella seemed to change her mind about asking, simply rearing up to trap my earlobe between her teeth.

I hissed, dragging her legs around my waist to hold her in place against the door. Loving the tangled waves of her heavy hair, I took a double handful and forced her head back so I could open my mouth along the column of her throat. Her breathing in tatters, Bella clamped onto my arms as though I was the last thing holding her to the earth. Hoisting her higher, I closed my mouth over her shirt, finding her nipple hard beneath the layers of clothing. 

“Fuck,” she cried when I bit down.

“Working on it,” I replied.

Spinning, I carried her to the bedroom and held her in my arms for another minute, simply because I could. Simply because my life was no longer in shambles, thanks to her.

Her coffee-colored eyes were enormous and focused on my face. My heart skipped, then beat in triple time as my love for her overwhelmed me. “You’re such a magnificent woman.”

Her lips curved, and I leaned forward with her in my arms, trapping her beneath me on the bed. With eager hands, she pulled at my shirt, and I did the same to her. With her tits in my hands, I rolled my tongue over one nipple and pinched the other, causing her to buck her hips against mine. Moving just enough to pull down her shorts, I threw them and her panties over my shoulder. Bella reached for me, but I flipped her over, hovering over her back and kissing down her spine.

Gripping the sheets, Bella moaned as I licked and sucked each precious bit of her flesh, finally pulling her hips until her ass was in my face. I found particular pleasure in kneading it, spanking it, and biting it as she writhed and panted under me. Eventually, I slid off the bed to kneel beside it, burying my face in her delicious pussy and listening to her lose her mind.

Absolutely nothing could cap off such a fantastic day better than getting lost in Bella. Swirling the tip of my tongue just right, I found her hands and clasped them tightly as she fell apart, trembling and moaning until she slumped all the way forward.

“Not quite done yet, baby.”

I don't think I’d ever shed my shorts faster, needing her so desperately I could feel it pulsing through my veins. My need for her settled in my cock until I yanked her to meet me, sinking inside her so deeply I swear I hit her tonsils. 

“God damn,” she moaned.

Keeping one hand on her lower back, I slid out and back in, feeling her tighten around me. “Strangle my cock, baby, just like that.”

With her body prone on the bed, my movement was limited. But I wanted her that way, at my mercy as I fucked her relentlessly. Though she squirmed, she had nowhere to go, and I felt the primal rush of possession race through me. I picked up my pace, impaling her aggressively as I chased my orgasm.

“God—” She broke off on a wail, clamping down on me.

“So fucking tight, Bella. Fuck.”

Stilling, I felt drained of energy as I came inside her. I wanted to stagger backward and find somewhere to collapse, but she raised her hands behind her to search for my grasp. Locking hands, I stood there catching my breath.

Finally, I had to slide out, fearing my legs would give way. Disheveled, Bella rolled and grinned up at me. “Hello.”

Flopping beside her, I turned my head to stare at her face. “Hello.”

She reached over, brushing stray hair off my forehead. Tilting up, she claimed my mouth, and I knew without a doubt that I was truly home.

“Beth called back.”

Her eyes widened, and she sat up quickly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I couldn't help chuckling. “It was meant to be my first words, but then you were standing there looking so tantalizing.”

“What did she say?” Bella bit her lip, and my gaze traveled down to her breasts.

“There’s nothing to hide from anymore.”

She gasped. “Oh, Ward, you’re free?”

Throwing herself down, Bella peppered my face and throat with kisses, and I grabbed her around the waist. “Now you see why I got sidetracked so easily.”

“My God, baby.” Cradling my head in her hands, her hair curtaining around us, she pressed her lips to my forehead. “Everything is falling into place.”

“I told her this is my home now.” With a sigh, I said, “She and Mike are coming to visit.”

“That must be hard for you.”

“How do you understand me so well?” 

Pushing her hair behind her ear, Bella rested her head on my chest. With light fingers, I traced over her back while I waited for her to speak. “I can only imagine leaving here and having to create a new life somewhere else. No matter how good the new place might be, this will always be my childhood home.”

“You thought about it a lot, didn’t you?”

“If you’d gone into WITSEC as I asked, they’d have made you move. I would've joined you without hesitation.”

“But I couldn't ask that of you, Bella.” Which was why I’d put it off, hating the idea of leaving her when I’d just found her.

Her breath came out in a stutter before she said, “I know, but I would have done it, anyway.”

“It was so fucking hard to leave Maryland, and I didn’t know at first if I’d ever return.” Stroking up and down her back, I thought about how I’d felt when I first came here. “I didn't know anyone here, and I was terrified of being found. Anyone who came too close scared the shit out of me, and I really didn’t like being touched.”

For a second, I only heard the sound of Bella’s breathing. Then, she said, “If you never say it out loud, Ward, it’s okay. I think I know what happened to you, at least in the broad sense. I don’t need details.”

Agony lanced through my chest, and I held her tighter. Maybe she was right; I didn’t need to tell her about the man referred to as the shot caller, or the way he carved out my brand with a homemade shiv—repeatedly. I didn't need to tell her what a June bug was, or a hoe check, or attempt to explain the indescribable torture. All the time spent in the infirmary couldn't save me. Moving thousands of miles away couldn't save me. 

But Bella had. She’d seen all the fucked up parts of me and loved me, anyway.

“All I can say is that I relate to Beth more than she knows. And I won’t ever tell her how bad it was in prison, but maybe one day I can talk about it with you.”

She didn’t speak, but she kissed the spot over my heart. Words were unnecessary as we curled up together until the need for food overtook everything else. Heidi and Charlie waited for us in the kitchen, curled up as close as Bella and I had just been.

“Look at how sweet they are together,” she said.

“We’re creating our own little family.”

“I love you, Ward.” Facing me, she laced her fingers behind my head and pulled me down for a kiss. “I love this life we’re creating together.”

A knock on the door interrupted us, and I made certain Bella’s clothes weren’t in disarray before stepping back. She glanced through the peephole and then pulled the front door open, smiling up at Jasper.

“Bella.” He darted a glance at me, and I knew fear again. Greeting me like an old enemy, it bloomed in my chest, spreading and unfurling along my nerve endings. 

In defense, I walked up behind her. I would have her back, no matter what had happened.

“Jasper, what’s wrong?”

“There was a guy downstairs. Tall, dark cap pulled low. He was looking for Ward.”

Ice water sluiced down my back. “But there’s no one else looking for me.”

Like a child, I wanted to scream and shout. Beth said it was safe!

“He fit the description of the guy Bella saw in Bookish.”

With a worried expression, Bella turned to me.

Of course I didn't have to protect her. It was me who was broken; lost, trapped, hunted. Endlessly running.